Apparatus for making sand molds

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for making sand molds is disclosed, having a plurality of equally spaced stations, a pair of first and second mold chambers, with the first mold chamber being stationarily mounted and the second mold chamber pivoted to the first mold chamber. The chambers are rotated successively to the various stations where the steps of making sand molds are successively executed, such as filling with mold sand, compressing of the sand, removal of the mold halves and so on. Also disclosed is a plate within a mold chamber with a plurality of passages leading through the plate into the mold chamber for passing compressed air therethrough to thoroughly mix the sand while it is being compressed within the mold chamber.

United States Patent 1 Larkin I 1 1 Jan.7, 1975 APPARATUS FOR MAKINGSAND MOLDS [76] Inventor: Sam Larkin, 254 Beach 140th St.,

Belle Harbor, NY.

[22] Filed: June 20, 1973 [21] Appl. N0.: 371,848

[52] US. Cl 164/194, 164/30, 164/38, 164/200 [51] Int. Cl. B22c 11/04[58] Field of Search 164/30, 37, 38, 187, 194, 164/200 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 365,584 6/1887 Davies 164/200 1,476,06912/1923 Gilmore 164/30 2,317,574 4/1943 Williams. 164/194 X 2,783,5093/1957 Miller 164/200 X 3,589,431 6/1971 Fellows 164/37 X 3,695,33910/1972 Taccone 164/37 X Primary Examiner-R. Spencer Annear [57]ABSTRACT An apparatus for making sand molds is disclosed, having aplurality of equally spaced stations, a pair of first and second moldchambers, with the first mold chamber being stationarily mounted and thesecond mold chamber pivoted to the first mold chamber. The chambers arerotated successively to the various stations where the steps of makingsand molds are successively executed, such as filling with mold sand,compressing of the sand, removal of the mold halves and so on.

Also disclosed is a plate within a mold chamber with a plurality ofpassages leading through the plate into the mold chamber for passingcompressed air therethrough to thoroughly mix the sand while it is beingcompressed within the mold chamber.

12 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 7 I975 SHEET 20F 4 APPARATUS FORMAKING SAND MOLDS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present inventionrelates to an apparatus for making sand molds.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus formaking sand molds which is simpler in design and operation, and lower incost than heretofore known apparatus for making sand molds.

It is another object of this invention to provide an apparatus formaking sand molds, which permits the production of several sand molds inone and the same machine simultaneously.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top view of the apparatus for making sand molds, accordingto the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a section along the line "-11 of FIG. 1, showing the apparatusduring the process of filling the mold chambers with mold sand;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line III-III of FIG. 1, showing theapparatus in the position in which the mold sand is compressed in themold chambers;

FIG. 4 is a section taken along the line IV-IV of FIG. I, and shows themachine in a position similar to FIG. 3, but with the pattern carrierremoved from the mold chambers and with cores being inserted;

FIG. 5 is a section taken along the line V-V of FIG. 1 in which the onemold chamber has been placed on top of the other mold chamber and inwhich the mold in the upper mold chamber is in the process of beingdisplaced into the lower mold chamber;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the mechanism for moving the right hand moldchamber of FIG. 4 into the position of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section taken along the line VIIVII of FIG. 1, and in whichthe completed mold has been lifted out of the lower mold chamber;

FIG. 8 is a section along the line VIIIVIII of FIG.

- l, and in which the mold chambers and associated apparatus is returnedto the initial starting position for a new cycle of operation of themachine.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to thedrawing in detail, the general structure of the apparatus according tothe present invention is illustrated in FIG. 1 in which one and the samepair of sand molds are shown in different positions within theapparatus.

More specifically, the apparatus comprises a support 10 having twoupstanding circular walls, an outer wall 12 and an inner wall 14. Outerwall 12 carries an annular ball bearing 16 with the lower race 18thereof connected to the outer wall 12 while the upper race 20 supportsan outer mold chamber 22. The upper race 20 carries at several places asmall bracket 24 to which the mold chamber 22 is connected by means ofbolts 26.

Similarly, the inner wall 14 carries an annular ball bearing 28. Thelower race 30 thereof is connected to the inner circular wall 14.However, the inner mold chamber designated with the reference numeral 32is not fixedly connected to the upper ball bearing race 34, but insteadmerely rests thereon.

The upper race 20 of ball bearing 16 is provided with a gear ring 36which meshes with a worm 38. This worm is driven via a magnetic clutch40 by a motor not shown. It will be evident that by driving worm 38 theupper bearing race 20 will rotate and thereby move the outer moldchamber 22 in counter-clockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 42,into a plurality of positions or stations, six such stations being shownin FIG. 1. The mold chambers 22 and 32 are interconnected by hinges 44and 46 and a pivot 48. Rotation of the outer mold chamber 22 willconsequently result in rotation of the inner mold chamber 32 into theabove mentioned plurality of different positions.

The outer mold chamber 22 has mounted therein a laminated plate 50 whichis slidable within mold chamber 22 and has connected thereto two pins52, each provided at the bottom with a ring 54. Similarly, the innermold chamber 32 is provided with a laminated plate 56 having two pins 58with rings 60.

In the position shown in FIG. 2, mold sand is gravityfed throughconduits 64 and 66 into the outer and inner mold chambers, insubstantially equal amounts. This will fill the outer mold chamber.22 toa level 68 and the inner mold chamber 32 to a level 70 substantiallycoinciding with the top of the mold chamber 32. As shown in FIG. 2 aspacer ring 62 is provided in the inner mold chamber 32.

Rotation of ring 20 by worm 38 will move the two mold chambers incounter-clockwise direction by approximately 60 into the positionillustrated in section in FIG. 3. At this second station, the sand inthe outer and inner mold chambers 22 and 32 respectively is compressedby fluid motors 72 and 74, respectively having pistons 76 and 78. Thesepistons are provided with pattern carriers 80 and 82 respectively. Inthe embodiment illustrated in the drawing, pattern carrier 80 haselevations 84 which are semi-circular in crosssection and substantiallyrectangular in longitudinal section. Pattern carrier 82 is provided withsimilar elevations 86. Compression of the sand by the mold carriers 80and 82 will form two mold halves 88 and 90 (see FIG. 4).

One important aspect of this invention is to be explained in connectionwith FIG. 3. The laminated plate 50 comprises an upper plate 92 and alower plate 94, leaving a hollow chamber 96. The upper plate 92 isprovided with a considerable number of perforations 98 substantiallyevenly distributed over the plate. Pin 52 has a hollow space 100 whichcommunicates with chamber 96 and extends through ring 54. As furtherillustrated in FIG. 3, there is provided a hose 102 with a coupling 104which in the position illustrated in FIG. 3 can sealingly engage ring54, the seal in this instance being established by an O-ring 106.

Pattern carriers 80 and 82 are provided with a plurality of bores 108.The purpose of the bores 108, hose 102, and the bores 98 in plates 92,is the following: When compressing mold sand in mold chamber 22 or 32 itis easily compressed in regions designated in FIG. 3 with the referencenumeral 110. However, in regions designated with the reference numeral112 compression is very difficult and impossible depending on the shapeof the patterns. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 this problem isnot as pronounced as it could be if the distance between the areas and112 would be larger. However, in order to permit proper compression ofthe mold sand over the entire area of the pattern carriers 80 and 82 andregardless of the form of the elevations 84 on the pattern carriers, airis introduced through hose 102, coupling 104 and chambers 96 as well asthe bores 98 to thoroughly mix the sand while it is being compressedwithin the mold chamber. Excess air escapes through the bores 108 inpattern carriers 80 and 82. Once the compression has reached a certainstage, the supply of air through hose 102 is interrupted automaticallyby back-up pressure.

After compression of the mold sand, the pattern carriers 80 and 82 arewithdrawn from the mold chambers 22 and 32, and via worm 38 the moldchambers are rotated by another 60 to the position shown in FIG. 4. Inthis position mold cores 114 are inserted by hand into the outer moldchamber 22.

Thereafter, the mold chambers are rotated by 60 into the next station ofthe apparatus, where the inner mold chamber 32 is tilted about pivot 48into the position illustrated in FIG. 5, by means of the mechanism shownin FIG. 6. To this end, the inner mold chamber 32 is provided with hubs116 on opposite sides thereof. They are engaged by a double-fork 118connected to a piston rod 120 ofa fluid motor 122 (FIGS. 1 and 6). Twoguides 124 are connected to the cylinder 126 of the fluid motor 122 andform the guides for rods 128 of the mechanism. A cam 130 is connected tothe rods 128. The mechanism furthermore comprises a roll 132.

Upon actuation of fluid motor 122 and engagement between fork 118 andhubs 1l6, the inner mold chamber 32 is pivoted in counter-clockwisedirection, as seen in FIG. 6 and FIG. since cam 130 is lifted over astationary roll 132. In this position, a fluid motor 134 is actuated andits piston 136 and end plate 138 presses pins 58 downwardly and therebydisplaces mold 90 from upper mold chamber 32 into the lower or outermold chamber 22. Thereafter piston 136 is retracted, as is piston rod120 by fluid motor 122. Fork 118 moves the mold chamber 32 in clockwisedirection back onto the bearing ring 34.

Again, mold chambers 22 and 32 are rotated by 60 into the positionillustrated in FIG. 7. In this position, a fluid motor (not shown) witha piston 140 pushes pins 52 upwardly until the laminated plate 50reaches its end position slightly above the top of mold chamber 22. Apusher mechanism 142 pushes the complete mold with mold halves 88 and 90and cores 114 onto a conveyor 144 for removal from the sand mold makingmachine.

Thereafter, the mold chambers are rotated again by 60 into the positionshown in FIG. 8 in which two fluid motors 146 and 148 with pistons 150and 152 respectively push plates 50 and 56 back into their originalpositions. Upon rotation of another 60 the machine has reached itsstarting position and a new cycle can begin.

The operation of the apparatus has been explained with reference toFIG. 1. as if two mold chambers were in different positions, each spaced60 from the other. However, simultaneously six different mold chamberpairs could be processed within the machine. One mold chamber pair wouldbe in the starting position, another in the position 60 offset incounter-clockwise direction, where sand is being introduced into themold chambers, another pair in the position where the cores are beingplaced within the mold chambers, and so on.

It is to be understood that the above description illustrates oneexample only of a number of different embodiments within the scope ofthis invention. Thus, the

number of stations or mold pairs within the apparatus could be increasedor reduced depending on requirements.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for making sand molds, comprising: frame means, supportmeans rotatably mounted on said frame means, means for rotating saidsupport means in a substantially horizontal plane to a plurality ofsubstantially equally spaced stations about said frame means, at leastone pair of first and second mold chamber means, pivot meansinterconnecting the first and second mold chamber means of each pair,said first mold chamber means of each pair being stationarily mounted onsaid support means, first means arranged at a first one of said stationsfor introducing mold sand into said mold chamber means, second meansarranged at a second one of said stations for compressing the mold sandin said mold chamber means to form mold halves, third means arrangedfollowing said second means for pivoting one of said first and secondmold chamber means of each pair about said pivot means from a firstposition next to said one mold chamber means to a second, invertedposition above said one mold chamber means, and for returning the sameto its first position, fourth means arranged at a third station fordisplacing the mold half in said other mold chamber means of each saidpair into said one mold chamber means of each said pair while the othermold chamber means is above said one mold chamber means, and fifth meansarranged at a fifth one of said stations for removing the two moldhalves from said one mold chamber means of each said pair.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means form acircle, ball bearing means rotatably supporting said support means onsaid frame means, said stations being arranged at equally spacedintervals on said circle.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising plate means in each ofsaid mold chamber means, and wherein said fifth means is adapted to movesaid plate means in said one mold chamber means above said one moldchamber means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said second means includesfluid motor means and pattern carrier means connected to each fluidmotor means for shaping the mold sand in the respective mold chambermeans when the mold sand therein is being compressed.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein each plate means isprovided with a hollow chamber therein, a plurality of passages leadingfrom said hollow chamber through said plate means into the respectivemold chamber means, and conduit means leading from the exterior of saidplate means into said hollow chamber, said conduit means being adaptedto be connected to a source of fluid under pressure for introducing suchfluid under pressure through said conduit means, hollow chamber andpassages into the respective mold chamber means while the mold sand inthe latter is being compressed in said second station to thereby assureeven compression of the mold sand around said pattern carrier means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 1, comprising additional supportmeans at said second station beneath said mold chamber means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said fluid means comprisesfork means adapted to engage said other mold chamber means of each pair,fluid motor means operatively connected to said fork means, and cammeans associated with said fork means for controlling movement of thelatter by said fluid motor means connected thereto to pivot said othermold chamber means of each pair about said pivot means to said second,inverted position and to return the same to said first position.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, which includes a station betweensaid second and third stations for permitting insertion of cores intothe mold half in said one mold chamber means.

9. An apparatus according to claim 3, which includes conveyor meanslocated at said fifth station, and pusher means at said fifth stationfor transferring the two mold halves onto said conveyor means from saidplate means above said one mold chamber means.

An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of pairs of moldchamber means corresponds to the number of said stations.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third means isarranged at said third station.

12. In an apparatus for making sand molds, mold chamber means comprisingupstanding side walls, and a bottom wall extending substantiallyperpendicularly to said side walls, and plate means in said mold chambermeans extending substantially parallel to said bottom wall and movablefrom adjacent said bottom wall along said side walls in substantiallyclose contact therewith, said plate means being provided with a hollowchamber therein, a plurality of passages leading from said hollowchamber through said plate means into said mold chamber means, andconduit means leading from the exterior of said plate means into saidhollow chamber, said conduit means being adapted to be connected to asource of fluid under pressure for introducing such fluid under pressurethrough said conduit means, hollow chamber and passages into said

1. An apparatus for making sand molds, comprising: frame means, supportmeans rotatably mounted on said frame means, means for rotating saidsupport means in a substantially horizontal plane to a plurality ofsubstantially equally spaced stations about said frame means, at leastone pair of first and second mold chamber means, pivot meansinterconnecting the first and second mold chamber means of each pair,said first mold chamber means of each pair being stationarily mounted onsaid supporT means, first means arranged at a first one of said stationsfor introducing mold sand into said mold chamber means, second meansarranged at a second one of said stations for compressing the mold sandin said mold chamber means to form mold halves, third means arrangedfollowing said second means for pivoting one of said first and secondmold chamber means of each pair about said pivot means from a firstposition next to said one mold chamber means to a second, invertedposition above said one mold chamber means, and for returning the sameto its first position, fourth means arranged at a third station fordisplacing the mold half in said other mold chamber means of each saidpair into said one mold chamber means of each said pair while the othermold chamber means is above said one mold chamber means, and fifth meansarranged at a fifth one of said stations for removing the two moldhalves from said one mold chamber means of each said pair.
 2. Anapparatus according to claim 1, wherein said support means form acircle, ball bearing means rotatably supporting said support means onsaid frame means, said stations being arranged at equally spacedintervals on said circle.
 3. An apparatus according to claim 1,comprising plate means in each of said mold chamber means, and whereinsaid fifth means is adapted to move said plate means in said one moldchamber means above said one mold chamber means.
 4. An apparatusaccording to claim 3, wherein said second means includes fluid motormeans and pattern carrier means connected to each fluid motor means forshaping the mold sand in the respective mold chamber means when the moldsand therein is being compressed.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4,wherein each plate means is provided with a hollow chamber therein, aplurality of passages leading from said hollow chamber through saidplate means into the respective mold chamber means, and conduit meansleading from the exterior of said plate means into said hollow chamber,said conduit means being adapted to be connected to a source of fluidunder pressure for introducing such fluid under pressure through saidconduit means, hollow chamber and passages into the respective moldchamber means while the mold sand in the latter is being compressed insaid second station to thereby assure even compression of the mold sandaround said pattern carrier means.
 6. An apparatus according to claim 1,comprising additional support means at said second station beneath saidmold chamber means.
 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein saidfluid means comprises fork means adapted to engage said other moldchamber means of each pair, fluid motor means operatively connected tosaid fork means, and cam means associated with said fork means forcontrolling movement of the latter by said fluid motor means connectedthereto to pivot said other mold chamber means of each pair about saidpivot means to said second, inverted position and to return the same tosaid first position.
 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, whichincludes a station between said second and third stations for permittinginsertion of cores into the mold half in said one mold chamber means. 9.An apparatus according to claim 3, which includes conveyor means locatedat said fifth station, and pusher means at said fifth station fortransferring the two mold halves onto said conveyor means from saidplate means above said one mold chamber means.
 10. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the number of pairs of mold chamber meanscorresponds to the number of said stations.
 11. An apparatus accordingto claim 1, wherein said third means is arranged at said third station.12. In an apparatus for making sand molds, mold chamber means comprisingupstanding side walls, and a bottom wall extending substantiallyperpendicularly to said side walls, and plate means in said mold chambermeans extending substantially parallel to said bottom wall and movablefrom adjacent said bottom wall along said side walls in substantiallyclose contact therewith, said plate means being provided with a hollowchamber therein, a plurality of passages leading from said hollowchamber through said plate means into said mold chamber means, andconduit means leading from the exterior of said plate means into saidhollow chamber, said conduit means being adapted to be connected to asource of fluid under pressure for introducing such fluid under pressurethrough said conduit means, hollow chamber and passages into said moldchamber means.